Reference
- Franklin, Aretha (Louise)(born March 25, 1942, Memphis, Tenn., U.S.) U.S. popular singer. Franklin’s family moved from Memphis to Detroit when she was two. Her father, C.L. Franklin, was a well-known revivalist preacher; his church and home were visited by musical luminaries such as Clara Ward, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, and Dinah Washington. Franklin made her first recording at age 12. At first she performed only gospel music, but at age 18 she switched from sacred to secular music. After struggling for a number of years to achieve crossover success, in 1967 her powerful and fervent voice took the country by storm as she began to release a string of songs including “I Never Loved a Man,” “Respect,” “Chain of Fools,” “Think,” and “Natural Woman.” Her rousing mixture of gospel and rhythm and blues defined the golden age of soul music of the 1960s. In 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Perspectives
Respect
This "comprehensive and illuminating" biography of the Queen of Soul (USA Today) was hailed by Rolling Stone as "a remarkably complex portrait of Aretha Franklin's music and her tumultuous life." Aretha Franklin began life as the golden daughter of a progressive and promiscuous Baptist preacher. Raised without her mother, she was a gospel prodigy who gave birth to two sons in her teens and left them and her native Detroit for New York, where she struggled to find her true voice. It was not until 1967, when a white Jewish producer insisted she return to her gospel-soul roots, that fame and fortune finally came via "Respect" and a rapidfire string of hits. She continued to evolve for decades, amidst personal tragedy, surprise Grammy performances, and career reinventions. Again and again, Aretha stubbornly found a way to triumph over troubles, even as they continued to build. Her hold on the crown was tenacious, and in Respect, David Ritz gives us the definitive life of one of the greatest talents in all American culture.
Aretha
America's Queen of Soul recounts the story of her life, from her childhood as a minister's daughter in Detroit to her rise to success, offering insights into the faith and determination that have taken her to the top.
Amazing grace
A documentary presenting the live recording of Aretha Franklin's album 'Amazing Grace' at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles, in January 1972.
The Queen Next Door
Aretha was private. I respected this and she trusted me. Linda Solomon met Aretha Franklin in 1983 when she was just beginning her career as a photo journalist and newspaper columnist. Franklin's brother and business manager arranged for Solomon to capture the singer's major career events-just as she was coming back home to Detroit from California-while Franklin requested that Solomon document everything else. Everything. And she did just that. What developed over these years of photographing birthday and Christmas parties in her home, annual celebrity galas, private backstage moments during national awards ceremonies, photo shoots with the iconic pink Cadillac, and more was a friendship between two women who grew to enjoy and respect one another. The Queen Next Door is a book full of firsts as Solomon was invited not only to capture historical events in Aretha'smusic career showcasing Detroit, but to join in with the Franklin family's most intimate and cherished moments in her beloved hometown. From performance rehearsals with James Brown to off-camera shenanigans while filming a music video with the Rolling Stones, from her first television special to her first time performing with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, to her last performance with her sisters at her father's church and her son's college graduation celebration...
Aretha Franklin
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Aretha Franklin sings at Sam Cooke’s funeral in 1964. Her father, C.L. Franklin, a celebrated Detroit preacher, helps her start a secular career with a Columbia Records deal.
Online Resources
- Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, 1942-2018Between 1967 and 1972, she released eight studio albums on Atlantic Records — and three live albums — that defined soul music in a way no previous artist had been able to do. Songs from that era — “Respect”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, “Think”, “Chain of Fools” — became international hits and are still played on radio stations, in clubs, in homes. The brilliance of the records was recognised commercially (Franklin would go on to become the most successful female artist of all time on the Billboard charts) and by her peers.
- Aretha Franklin: Soul legend and icon of civil rights and feminist strugglesLegendary soul singer, feminist and civil rights icon Aretha Franklin, who died aged 76 on August 16, was often called the "Queen of Soul" as well as the "Voice of Black America", noted 'Common Dreams'.
- Living and Singing Soul with Aretha: Respecting Our Awesome and Soulful SelvesKarenga reflects on the life and career of singer Aretha Franklin and her significant contribution to the Black culture. There are at least four fundamental traditions within Black culture that Aretha is rooted in and rises from: the Black music tradition; the Black church tradition: the Black activist-artist tradition: and the Black womanist tradition. Aretha as a singer and musician is rooted deeply in the musical tradition of her people, known world-wide for excellence in music. It is a versatile-deep and beautiful expression of the varied range of human thought, emotion, speech and practice.
Soul Music Parallels Civil Rights
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowGospel lyrics often reference the realities of life for black Americans; the political aspect carries into soul music. Aretha Franklin performs "Respect," Rev. Jesse Jackson recites "Amazing Grace," and Billy Preston performs "That's the Way God Planned It."